Just a few months ago Michael Friedenberg, CEO of CXO Media asked what three qualities best describes a CIO. And, just a few weeks ago former CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner, asked the perfect follow-up question:

which CEO and/or company most successfully, consistently and thoroughly embodies innovation to maximize business results?

Almost 800 professionals answered the question. While a few answers predicted the demise of the “Star-CEO” role, the majority cited examples of CEOs such as Steve Jobs or companies like Southwest Airlines and Google.

Here’s a sampling:

Neal Lachman, Chairman & CEO at N.S. Lachman & Co.

We may have some visionary founder or executive that will occasionally play the charismatic CEO role, but the era of the CEO as the poster-child of great innovation and great leadership is gone due to the job-hopping tendencies of today’s (short-term minded) CEOs.

Patrick Hayes, Vice President, CSMG

Apple has done amazing things with computing and more recently Consumer Electronics devices. They have a unnatural ability to bring out converged platforms and extend CE devices with an obsession for the form/factor itself and more importantly the surrounding value added services and products. For example, iPod went from a product, to a platform to a full-fledged eco-system of products and services.

And, like it or not they changed the way record labels, artists, etc. view the distribution and monetization of music now. They’re doing it again with iPhone.

Browse the rest of the 777 answers here.

How to tap into the wisdom of your crowd using LinkedIn Answers:

1. Ask your Network: Need an answer in a particular area of professional expertise. LinkedIn has hundreds of categories in the professional space ranging from the mundane to the obscure.

Ask a Question on LinkedIn Answers

2. Search for Answers: Don’t have time to ask a question. Never mind. Somebody may have encountered the same issues you have, may have asked the question on LinkedIn and found a satisfactory solution to it. 

Find Answers on LinkedIn

3. Help your Network with your Answers: Want to earn some Digital Karma? Answer questions in your area of expertise that can help both your professional network as well as others looking for similar solutions.

Answer questions from your LinkedIn network